May 2018

Hello!

Spring is in the air and that means vacation season is almost upon us, but are we going to take advantage of it? After all the United States has been accused of being a no-vacation nation!

Is this based on accurate observations? Is it time for the U.S. to start keeping pace with other industrialized nations? Research suggests we’ve fallen behind. The average number of paid vacation days for U.S. workers is 10 days, according to a report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

The answer is more complicated than organizations expanding PTO offerings. Almost half of U.S. employees don’t use all their allotted vacation time and when they do most only use four consecutive days. Research, however, strongly suggests that it takes eight days to realize the full benefits of time off.

In this month’s At Your Best we’re examining the current state of vacation use in the U.S. and what it means for organizations when employees aren’t taking the time off they’ve earned.

Should U.S. Companies Give More
Paid Time Off?

Research reveals a deep divide between paid time off, and other benefits, in the American workplace compared to 14 European countries. A big reason for these discrepancies is due to the responsibility to provide these benefits falling on the employer in the U.S., where as benefits are heavily regulated by the government in Europe. Read more >

Can Paid Time Off Decrease Absenteeism and Increase Productivity?

Historically speaking, absenteeism has been an expensive and complicated challenge for organizations to solve. As early as 2013, total annual costs related to lost productivity because of absenteeism totaled $84 billion. Can increased PTO address this problem? Research suggests the solution isn’t that simple since there are multiple causes, which could be addressed by improving organizational culture.Read more >

What Happens When Employers Give
Unlimited Time Off?

It sounds like every employee’s dream and a logical approach to our vacation-phobic society. However, this Harvard Business Review article explores a new approach to vacation and the results thus far are promising. Read more >

The Perfect Vacation

This short video is dedicated to all the passionate employees out there that aren’t using all their allotted vacation time! Time Magazine reveals the health benefits of taking time off and the importance of a well-planned vacation. Watch now >